Michael Gorman is a reporter in Nova Scotia who covers Province House, rural communities, and everything in between. Contact him with story ideas at michael.gorman@cbc.ca

The chairperson of the IWK Health Centre's board said revelations the CFO and former CEO worked to prepare inaccurate expense reports leads her and other board members to wonder what else might have been happening.

Looking at all operational aspects

She said reviewing the CEO expenses in concert with a report by Grant Thornton allowed the board to make decisions and definitively move ahead on that issue.

"We're now at a place where we're asking the question of the broader controls: how could this happen over a sustained period of time and how were those controls being managed and when these kind of things were occurring, why wasn't the communication going up the chain the way it should have been," she said in an interview Monday.

Former IWK CEO Tracy Kitch still owes the hospital almost $10,000 for personal expenses she billed the hospital. (Career Women Interaction)

Premier calls for openness

Meanwhile, political leaders in the province are voicing their own concerns.

Premier Stephen McNeil used his strongest language to date in discussing the issue, calling on the IWK to make all information available to auditors and the public as it gets to the bottom of the situation.

"The strength of this institution is the confidence the public have in it, from delivering child care to women's health. It is critical that this institution's reputation be held and it's more important, in my view, that the institution's reputation get held than it is those who were associated with it."

McNeil said his government would continue to monitor the situation to see what needs to happen.

'We need real leadership'

But opposition leaders said it's already time for the government to get more directly involved.

"That IWK is a gem for our province and its reputation needs to be restored and that can only happen when the government actively takes over," said Tory Leader Jamie Baillie.

Baillie said he knows the auditor general is considering a deeper look, but he said the situation cannot wait for Michael Pickup's decision, which is expected in early October.